How to start an interview with confidence and make a strong first impression

Within 90 seconds of meeting you, the interviewer has already started forming an opinion. In finance, consulting, and tech recruiting, those opening moments carry more weight than most candidates realize. How you enter the room, settle into the conversation, and deliver your first answer sets the frame for everything that follows.

Most candidates focus entirely on answering questions well. They prepare for technicals, rehearse behavioral stories, and study the firm. But they neglect the opening, the 90-second window where first impressions are formed and where composure, confidence, and clarity either compound or collapse.

Below, you’ll find how to start an interview from the moment you walk in: how to greet the interviewer, how to settle into the conversation, and how to structure your opening answer using a framework that works across banking, consulting, and PE interviews.

Key takeaways

• The first 90 seconds determine how the interviewer perceives you for the rest of the conversation.
• Your entrance, greeting, and body language set the tone before you answer a single question.
• Structure your opening answer using present–bridge–future to sound focused, not rehearsed.
• Composure and confidence in the opening compound into stronger performance throughout.
• Cook’d AI helps you practice interview openings under realistic pressure until they feel natural.

Why the first 90 seconds determine interview outcomes

Research on first impressions suggests that interviewers form initial judgments rapidly. In finance recruiting, where multiple candidates interview on the same day during Superdays, those early impressions carry even more weight because interviewers are comparing dozens of candidates in quick succession.

The opening isn’t just about warmth or charisma. It’s about signaling that you belong in the room. A candidate who walks in with confident posture, greets by name, and delivers a structured opening answer signals competence before the technical questions even begin.

Here’s how to nail each moment.

The critical moments before you speak

Your entrance and greeting

Stand when the interviewer enters or approaches. Offer a firm handshake with eye contact. Use their name: “Thank you for meeting with me, Sarah.” This small detail signals preparation and professionalism. At Goldman Sachs or McKinsey, where multiple interviewers rotate through, remembering names across rounds demonstrates attentiveness.

How you settle into the conversation

Sit with upright posture. Place your notebook or portfolio on the table without fumbling. Don’t fidget with your pen or check your phone. These micro-behaviors signal composure. Learning how to be confident in an interview starts with controlling these physical signals.

Reading the room and adjusting

Some interviewers start with casual conversation. Others dive straight into questions. Read their pace and match it. If they’re warm and conversational, reciprocate. If they’re direct and time-conscious, skip small talk and signal readiness.

How to structure your opening answer

The three-part structure that works

When the interviewer asks “Tell me about yourself” or “Walk me through your background,” use a present–bridge–future structure, similar to how to answer “Tell me about yourself”. Start with where you are now, bridge to the experiences that brought you here, and close with why this role is the logical next step.

What to include and what to cut

Include: your current role or academic focus, 1–2 relevant experiences with brief impact statements, and a clear connection to this specific role. Cut: childhood stories, exhaustive resume recitations, generic enthusiasm about “finance.”

Finance-specific opening answer example

“I’m currently a senior at Wharton studying finance, where I’ve been focused on M&A through our investment club and two banking internships. Last summer at Lazard, I worked on a sell-side process in healthcare that reinforced my interest in advisory. Your TMT group’s recent activity in enterprise software is what drew me to apply — I want to build sector depth in an area where I already have exposure.”

Common mistakes that kill opening answers

• Starting too far back. “I grew up in New Jersey and always liked numbers” wastes your strongest 30 seconds.
• No clear endpoint. Trail off or end abruptly, and you lose the narrative arc that makes answers memorable.
• Going past 90 seconds. Interviewers tune out. Time yourself in practice.
• Being vague about the role. “I’m interested in finance” tells them nothing. Name the group, the deal flow, the reason.

Managing nerves and delivery in the opening moments

Nerves are normal. The goal isn’t to eliminate them but to channel them into focus. Arrive 10–15 minutes early so you’re not rushed. Take a slow breath before the interviewer enters. Focus on your posture and greeting rather than rehearsing your first answer in your head.

The more you’ve practiced your opening under realistic conditions, the more automatic it becomes. That’s why simulation-based practice matters more than mirror rehearsal, because it builds the muscle memory for composure under actual evaluation pressure.

Own the room from the first handshake

How to start an interview isn’t about memorizing perfect lines. It’s about building the composure, structure, and confidence that make a strong first impression feel natural. The candidates who win offers at Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, or any competitive firm aren’t the ones who got lucky. They’re the ones who practiced the opening until it was automatic.

Structure your greeting, settle into the conversation with composure, and deliver your opening answer with the present–bridge–future framework. Cook’d AI helps you practice all three under realistic pressure.